Harry Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor
by Broken Angel01
Summary: As Harry Potter's seventeenth birthday approaches, he is about to find out that even in the darkest moments, when it seems as if the vile act of murder cannot be forgiven, the cry of the phoenix will ring true. Please review!
1. The Servant of Voldemort

Hello to all fellow Harry Potter fans! If you've ever been on the comments pages, you might recognize my pen name. You know, I'm the Snape lover, potential Death Eater, She Who Must Not Be Named. (Don't even ask!) As you may well have noticed (if you've checked out my profile page) this is my first attempt at a Harry Potter fic, and depending on how horrible it is, it may just be my last.

Just to let you know, don't expect me to update soon, not till my fic One World Away from Darkness is finished. Then I will be able to focus more on this one. My fic Following the Footsteps of Destiny is an ongoing project, which may well turn into a grand epic, and yes! I am still planning to write My Best Friend's Girlfriend! So without further ado, here's my first Harry Potter fic. I fully expect some flames and I don't mind one bit. I usual cut out the insults and use the rest as constructive criticism. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all it's characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing. This story is just for fun.

Harry Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor

Chapter 1: The Servant of Voldemort

In a deep forest of tangled trees and thick shadows, several hooded figures knelt upon the damp earth, carefully keeping their eyes averted from the tall, thin form standing before them.

One figure, who was slightly smaller than the rest and visibly trembling, had caught the thin man's attention.

"You came very close to failing me tonight," said a high, cold voice. "Lord Voldemort does not tolerate failure."

A small whimper escaped the youth's mouth, but it was quickly silenced.

Despite the smile on Voldemort's face, the light never reached his blood-red snakelike gaze.

Voldemort turned, the hem of his robes rustling in the grass choked with weeds, and gazed at each one of the figures knelt in a half-circle before him. "Fortunately for you, Draco, disaster has been averted." His slitted eyes came to rest back on the trembling figure closest to him. "For that, I have decided to spare you. I must admit, with Dumbledore dead, I'm in a rather cheery mood this evening."

Draco Malfoy's sigh of relief was not lost on his companions.

"Still." Voldemort's eyes narrowed threateningly, and Draco shivered. "I expect much better from you in the future. Lord Voldemort does not make exceptions as a rule. Next time I may not be in such a lovely mood."

"Yes, master," Draco whispered.

"Now, as for you..." Voldemort turned to address the figure kneeling on Draco's right. Unlike Draco, this figure did not twitch a muscle. "You're loyalty to Lord Voldemort will be rewarded. Your actions tonight have led to a rapid progression in my plans. With Dumbledore out of the way, Harry Potter does not stand a chance against the power that is Lord Voldemort. Our young friend cannot hide behind the robes of others anymore and he is vulnerable. This time, Harry Potter will die a terrible death at my hands, and there will be no escape for him."

The figure before Voldemort merely nodded and did not speak.

"But first there is something else we must do," said Voldemort softly. "Some of your fellow Death Eaters still remain in Azkaban. However inept they are at such a simple task as stealing a prophecy out of the hands of a group of teenagers, they will be needed."

One Death Eater giggled nervously and was quickly silenced by a fellow companion.

"Some of you will be visiting Azkaban in the coming weeks," said Voldemort. "A couple of Dementors should be sufficient enough to aid you. Greyback, Alecto, Amycus. You three will do. Bring Lucius and the others back to me."

He turned to Draco with a twisted smile. "I'm sure you will like that, Draco." Then his eyes narrowed. "Although your father might not, once I'm through with him. Everyone must answer to Lord Voldemort for pathetic failures such as the one that Lucius so spectacularly achieved."

Draco gasped and quickly slapped a hand over his mouth to cover the sound.

"The rest of you will receive your orders in due time. Now all of you get out of my sight. I have much yet still to plan before we're ready for our strike against Harry Potter."

The Death Eaters quickly rose, and Voldemort pointed one long, thin finger at the figure on Draco's right. "Except you. You will stay."

The rest of the Death Eaters had already disapparated, but one hesitated at the edge of the clearing, silently watching them.

"Is there something you wanted to ask me, Bellatrix?" said Voldemort coldly, without looking at her.

The figure at the edge of the clearing jumped. "No, my Lord," she murmured.

"Then leave me. I have no use for you at the moment."

Again Bellatrix hesitated before finally disapparating.

Voldemort turned his attention to the remaining Death Eater who had not moved from his original kneeling position on the ground.

"The Dark Lord always knows," said Voldemort softly. "Tonight your loyalty was tested and you have passed the test. As you well know, Lord Voldemort does not take unnecessary chances. That is why you will be given a task far greater than the others."

The Death Eater remained silent, his face hidden with the aide of his dark hood.

"You are going to bring Harry Potter to me," Voldemort whispered. "I'm sure you will take great pleasure in watching him die. Only those worthy enough will be granted such an honour. You succeed where your fellow Death Eaters do not. I'm sure your dear friend Lucius knows that all too well. Prepare yourself. The Order of the Phoenix is still at large even without that fool Dumbledore there to guide them. They will no doubt try to thwart us for the boy's sake."

"Yes, my Lord. I will be vigilant, and on your command, I will lead Harry Potter straight into your hands," said the Death Eater quietly.

Voldemort smiled and allowed his servant to kiss the hem of his robes. "Lord Voldemort rewards loyalty," he said softly, placing a hand on the Death Eater's hooded head. "Soon Harry Potter will be nothing but a fond memory."

Voldemort turned and, with a swish of his cloak, he disapparated from the forest.

The lone Death Eater remained kneeling and slowly lifted his head to the starry night sky. A quarter moon shone high in that endless darkness, it's pale blue light reflecting eerily off the Death Eater's face. Haunted black eyes gazed at the stars from within the confines of his black hood.

"Only you can save yourself now, Harry Potter," he whispered softly.

Slowly the Death Eater stood up and turning, he disappeared into the darkness.


	2. Unexpected House Guests

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and it's characters are the property of J.K. Rowling. This story is just for fun.

A/N: Chapters will be longer once the story gets moving. Reviews are appreciated.

Harry Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor

Chapter 2: Unexpected House Guests

Harry Potter sat cross-legged in the middle of his bed with his nose buried in the Daily Prophet. The bright afternoon sunshine lit the small room of number four Privet Drive with a golden glow, but Harry barely noticed. His attention was focused entirely on the article before him. Apparently the Ministry of Magic was having no more luck at keeping dark wizards in Azkaban now than they did when Sirius had escaped. The large headline read:

DEATH EATERS ESCAPE AZKABAN

_Is history repeating itself? Late last night, the Death Eaters who were sentenced to Azkaban for trespass and attempted theft at the Ministry last year in June, escaped. This is the second time in recent years that a group of Death Eaters have managed to breach the walls of what had once been regarded as a high security prison. Have the Aurors lost their touch?_

_Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, spoke today in response to the public outcry from the magical world. "Well, what did you expect?" said the Minister. "Without the Dementors guarding Azkaban, the prison is vulnerable. Even the best Aurors could not have changed the outcome. Those Death Eaters had outside help, and with You-Know-Who on the loose, we don't have the manpower to maintain security levels at the prison with the same standards the Dementors upheld. It was bound to happen."_

_The magical population was not pleased. Most likely these Death Eaters have gone to join up with He Who Must Not Be Named. The night of their escape, several figures were spotted in the area, including what appeared to be a couple of Dementors. It looks like the Aurors have their work cut out for them if they hope to stop the spread of chaos and Dark Marks._

_"The Ministry has made too many mistakes. It's impossible to ignore them anymore," said one Auror, who declined to give his name. "If they hadn't made such a mockery of Harry Potter, we wouldn't even be in this situation."_

_And where does the 'Chosen One' fit into all of this? Whether or not Harry Potter will be the one to defeat He Who Must Not Be Named still remains to be seen. As it stands at the moment, the magical population are more inclined to rally behind The Boy Who Lived than the catastrophe that is the Ministry of Magic._

Harry slowly lowered the newspaper and stared at the ceiling without really seeing it. A lot had happened since that terrible night atop the astronomy tower, or at least that was what the Ministry wanted everyone to believe. In Harry's opinion, the Ministry, and the Aurors included, had been doing nothing but running around in circles. Voldemort was on the loose, the Death Eaters were still at large, and Snape was still missing... His injurys from that night had healed, but the pain in his heart at the loss of Professor Dumbledore remained. Often it had haunted his dreams, the scene playing over and over again in his mind. He could picture it even now. Snape's wand pointed at Dumbledore, the Killing Curse knocking the Headmaster off the astronomy tower, and the look in the former Potions Master's cold, black eyes. Snape had not even thought twice about killing a fellow member of the Order of the Phoenix. Some things were beyond forgiveness. Dumbledore had trusted Snape, and Snape had not only betrayed the Headmaster, he had betrayed Lily, James, Sirius, and so many others...It was time that Snape got what he deserved...

"Only it won't be from the Ministry," said Harry bitterly. "They can't seem to get their hands on anyone who isn't standing right in front of them. It looks like I'm going to be the one who has to stop Snape, and that's exactly the way I want it. It's the least I can do for Dumbledore after everything he's done for me...

The news about the Death Eaters escaping Azkaban did not really surprise Harry. He had figured it would happen sooner or later. To him, it was merely another obstacle on the road to his final confrontation with Voldemort. Even the news that many in the magical community had put their faith in him instead of the Ministry did not bring him the comfort that it once would have. He had accepted the fate that he had chosen for himself, and no matter how much support he recieved, he would still be alone when the final battle came. He thought of Ron and Hermione and smiled. _Well, maybe not completely alone. _Not that he wanted to put them in any danger. If Harry had had his way, they would be going to Hogwarts this year and staying as far away from him as possible. Unfortunately, once Hermione got an idea into her head, it was impossible to change her mind. Harry had not forgotten S.P.E.W. His only hope was that, at the end of the day, all three of them would still be in one piece.

"I think Ron was right about Hermione," said Harry softly. "She is mental." Seeing as Ron had backed Hermione up on this suicidal notion, it was pretty safe to say that Ron was mental too.

Harry looked up at the sound of voices drifting into the room from his open window and frowned. The voices sounded as if they were close by, and they were arguing. It could not be the Dursleys. They were all still sitting in the living room the last time Harry had bothered to check. Uncle Vernon had not mentioned anything about visitors today, which he surely would have after what had happened to the Masons.

Harry sat bolt upright and quickly scrambled off the bed. He leaped over to the window, upsetting Hedwig's cage which stood on the desk, and pressed his face to the glass. Harry felt his heart leap into his throat. Ron and Hermione were standing on the Dursley's doorstep.


	3. What Must Come First

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all it's characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing.

A/N: It looks like the Harry Potter lot is tough when it comes to getting reviews. Just so you know, my stories that get reviewed the most often get the updates sooner. If you want faster updates, you know what you have to do!

Harry Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor

Chapter 3: What Must Come First

Harry raced down the stairs fully determind to reach the door before either Hermione or Ron could ring the doorbell. He wondered vaguely whether Ron would even know what a doorbell was, but he dared not take any chances. Ron may not know, but Hermione certainly did.

He jumped over the last couple of stairs and yanked the door open while at the same time trying to catch his breath.

Hermione had her finger inches away from the bell and froze at the sight of him. "Harry!"

"Hey, mate," said Ron with a grin. "I bet you weren't expecting to see us here!"

That was an understatement, to say the least.

"What are you doing here?" asked Harry in a frantic whisper. "If the Dursleys see you-"

"Relax," Ron replied, glancing quickly at Hermione. "We're not planning on staying here very long and neither should you."

Harry frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"In a minute," said Hermione, looking impatient. "Well? Aren't you going to let us in? It's quite rude to leave people standing on the doorstep, you know."

Harry gaped at her. "Have you gone completely mad, Hermione?"

Ron snickered, but the look on Hermione's face quickly silenced him.

"Harry, do you want some help packing, or not? We'll be gone before the Dursleys even know that we've been here," said Hermione in what she obviously thought was a reasonable tone.

Harry glanced quickly over his shoulder, but the Dursleys were still in the living room. "How did you get here anyway?" he asked.

Hermione beamed at him looking quite pleased with herself. "We apparated."

"You apparated?" Harry turned to look at Ron in surprise. "No offence, mate, but didn't you fail your Apparition test? You left a piece of an eyebrow behind, remember?"

Harry glanced around, fully expecting to see some Ministry wizards popping up out of thin air to seize Ron, but nothing happened.

"I know I did," said Ron gloomily. "I had to hang onto Hermione while she apparated both of us here."

"Oh honestly, Ron. Stop sulking," was Hermione's response. "Don't worry, Harry. We weren't going to risk having the Ministry after Ron for apparating without a license. Now, are you going to let us in, or not?"

Harry sighed in defeat and stepped back to let them in. "Alright," he whispered. "But keep your voices down. If we're lucky, I might be able to sneak you out past the Dursleys without them even knowing that you've been here. Come on."

Harry led his friends quietly up the stairs to his bedroom and closed the door behind them. He turned to face them and sighed. "I thought that you two would have changed your minds by now, especially you, Hermione. Did you know that they've decided to keep Hogwarts open this year? It was in the paper last week."

"Yes, but that doesn't change what we've decided," said Hermione. "After all, there are some things that are more important than education."

Ron goggled at her and Harry's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Hermione, are you feeling alright?"

Hermione gave him a very cool look. "Of course I am. Did you read the article in today's Daily Prophet?"

"You mean the one about the Death Eaters escaping?" asked Harry with a snort. "I can't say it surprises me, and I didn't think that you would be shocked by it either. We all knew it was going to happen eventually."

"Not that one," said Hermione, shaking her head. "This one."

She snatched the newspaper off of his bed and quickly ruffled through the pages until she found what she was looking for.

Harry took it from her outstretched hand and froze when he spotted the large headline at the top of the page.

FORMER HOGWARTS TEACHER STILL MISSING

_Despite the efforts from a top team of Aurors, the former potions professor and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is still missing._

_Severus Snape has been accused of murdering the former Headmaster at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, on the night that the Dark Mark was spotted over the school's astronomy tower._

_"We searched his home, the school, and every other place that we could think of," said Nymphadora Tonks, who is one of the Aurors currently working on the case. "So far we've turned up absolutely nothing. He was always one for secrecy. Even the tips that I've recieved from my fellow Order members have only turned up dead ends. Knowing Snape, he's probably already joined up with You-Know-Who so it's no wonder that we can't find him."_

_Auror, Nymphadora Tonks, is also a member of the group calling themselves the Order of the Phoenix which has recently gone public. It is a group of witches and wizards who have dedicated themselves to stopping You-Know-Who and his followers once and for all. The group was originally started by Albus Dumbledore, and it has grown in numbers over the past two years. When asked why they decided to go public only recently, Order member and Ex-Auror, Alastor Moody had this to say._

_"Well there's no use in keeping secret what isn't a secret anymore! You-Know-Who knows all about the Order, and so do his Death Eaters. We fought them in the Department of Mysteries and again at Hogwarts. It doesn't matter anymore now that You-Know-Who has every Auror in the Ministry after him, and so does Snape. If we take out a few more Death Eaters along the way, then so much the better. You-Know-Who doesn't care if you're an Order member or not. Anyone who gets in his way is likely to get the Killing Curse, and that's why we all have to work together to stop him."_

_The Order of the Phoenix is currently working with the Aurors to locate Snape._

_The former potions teacher had been with the school for fifteen years and many of his colleagues were shocked by the terrible events that had taken place at Hogwarts._

_"It's just so hard to believe," said Minerva McGonagall, who has replaced Dumbledore as Headmistress at Hogwarts. "I knew that he had been accused of being a Death Eater years ago, but we all believed that he had really changed. Some Order members were reluctant to accept that, but Dumbledore trusted him completely. The Headmaster never said why, but we all felt that there had to be a good reason, despite the fact that Severus did indeed have the Dark Mark burned into his upper arm."_

_Strangely enough, Dumbledore had been the one who had gotten Snape off the hook the first time that the man had been accused of being a Death Eater._

_Even with this startling revelation, the biggest twist in the story is what has been revealed about the night of the murder. According to members of the Order, the sole witness to the crime was The Chosen One himself, Harry Potter. What was an underage wizard doing atop the astronomy tower on that night of all nights? This question has yet to be answered because the only other witnesses to what had happened up there were all Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy's son, Draco Malfoy, who has recently gone missing as well. That left Albus Dumbledore who never had a chance to speak._

_Could Snape have really been the one to murder Dumbledore, or could Harry Potter have been mistaken?_

_When asked about the relationship between Snape and Potter, Minerva McGonagall's response was rather abrupt._

_"I really don't think that's relevant to the subject of this interview," the Headmistress said a little stiffly._

_It certainly leaves room for speculation, and the rumors have been flying. The fact that the other Hogwarts professors also declined to comment suggests that there is more to the story than what has been revealed._

_"No one ever liked Snape," said Hogwarts student, Ernie Macmillan. "He was always favouring the students in his own House and treating the rest of us like rubbish. I consider that to be very unprofessional. If you ask me, I think that the school governors should be making more of an effort to involve themselves with the school. There should be an inquiry into the student/teacher relationship here at Hogwarts. It would certainly straighten out anymore of that type of nonsense!"_

_"Why Dumbledore ever hired a former Death Eater is beyond me," said Hufflepuff student, Zacharias Smith. "He should have known the man would go back to his old ways. I always thought that Snape was rather suspicious. Maybe now they'll be more careful about who they hire."_

_There was some speculation as to whether or not the school would remain open this year in light of recent events. After a lengthy discussion between the school governors and the professors at Hogwarts, it was decided that the school would indeed remain open._

_"After all, if the students aren't safe at Hogwarts anymore then they're not safe anywhere," said Head of Ravenclaw House, Filius Flitwick._

_The mystery of Potter's presence at the scene of the crime still leaves many unanswered questions. According to members of the Order, Potter refuses to reveal the reasons why he was in the company of Albus Dumbledore before the murder took place._

_"Harry's testimony is all we have to go on about what happened that night, and I trust his judgement," said former Hogwarts teacher, Remus Lupin. "The only other people who may be able to tell us anything are Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape. By the looks of things, neither one wants to be found so I doubt we're going to get anything out of them."_

_Once again this brought up the question of Snape and Potter. Lupin also declined to comment._

_"I don't think it's really an issue that matters here," said Lupin calmly. "It doesn't change the reality of what Snape did, and Snape has no one to blame but himself."_

_Harry Potter was not available for comments on the subject._

_As far as things stand now, it may be a while before any information can be turned up about Snape's whereabouts._

Harry slowly lowered the newspaper and stared at Hermione, careful to keep his face expressionless. "What about it?"

Hermione bit her lip and glanced quickly at Ron who shrugged.

"It's just...do you remember what Dumbledore said about finding the Horcruxes?"

"Yes," said Harry stiffly. "It's not the kind of thing one tends to forget."

"Well," said Hermione slowly. "I know you want to be the one to bring Snape to justice, but you can't let that stand in the way of what's really important which is the Horcruxes. The Aurors and the Order are keeping an eye out for Snape, and I'm sure they'll catch him eventually. What you need to focus on is the task that Dumbledore gave you because defeating Voldemort is what counts."

Ron winced at the sound of Voldemort's name, but Harry remained silent.

"Harry, with Voldemort gone, the Death Eaters are powerless," said Hermione in a gentle voice. "You saw what happened the last time Voldemort disappeared. They became nothing but a scattered bunch of witches and wizards who were running from the Aurors. Many were forced to pretend that they had reverted back to the good side. They're nothing without Voldemort, Harry."

"So basically you're saying that I should just forget about Snape," said Harry coldly.

"If you let your hatred for Snape cloud your judgement, it will leave you vulnerable which will give Voldemort the edge. You may end up making a mistake that will get you or someone you care about killed. Where will that leave the rest of the magical world if you end up dying? So many people are relying on you, Harry. They see you as a symbol of hope that one day they won't have to live in fear of the man who has ruined so many lives, who's name they dare not even speak. Snape has already played a role in the murders of two innocent people, Dumbledore and Sirius. Don't let him have that chance again. Let the Order deal with Snape while you deal with Voldemort. There will always be a chance to bring Snape to justice after Voldemort is out of the picture."

"Not if he ends up dead before You-Know-Who," Ron pointed out.

"I hope that doesn't happen," said Harry quietly. "Death would be an easy way out for Snape. I want him to be looking me straight in the eyes when he finally gets what he deserves, and that's the Dementor's Kiss."

Harry let out a bitter laugh. "Then again, Snape never had much of a soul to begin with so I guess it won't really make that much of a difference. Look, Hermione. I'll try to go along with what you said, but if I happen to meet Snape face to face, I can't keep any promises."

Hermione sighed and managed a smile. "I guess that's the best I can hope for."

"Can you believe that bloke, Zacharias?" Ron snorted. "I'm surprised he's actually on your side about Snape killing Dumbledore considering that he doesn't seem to like you. I always thought that he was the type who would like Snape. Him and Malfoy could be best mates."

"Malfoy appears to have more of a soul than Snape," said Hermione quietly. "Even you can't deny that, Ron."

They all fell silent and Hedwig hooted in sympathy from her cage.

After several moments, Hermione regained her composure and gave Harry a bright smile.

"We're here because we've come to take you to The Burrow."

"What for?" asked Harry, frowning.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten already," grinned Ron. "Bill's and Fleur's wedding."

"You do want to come, don't you?" asked Hermione.

"Of course, but-"

"Well then start packing your trunk so that we can get out of here. After that it's on to Godric's Hollow, and then we start searching for the Horcruxes."

Ron and Hermione started to gather up his things, and Harry sighed.

"You really aren't going to give up, are you? Well alright then, lets hurry up about it. Having the Dursleys downstairs is making me nervous. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

Harry picked up Hedwig's cage while Ron and Hermione grabbed his trunk.

They headed out of the room and slowly began to make their way back down the stairs as quietly as possible.

They were halfway to the bottom when Ron lost his hold on the trunk. It crashed down the stairs and landed at the bottom with a thump.

"What the ruddy hell was that?"

Harry froze in horror at the sound of Uncle Vernon's voice.

Hermione let out a gasp of dismay, and they all turned just in time to see Uncle Vernon poke his very purple face into the hallway.


	4. Petunia's Secret

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of it's characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing.

A/N: Sorry it's taken so long for an update, but I'm doing my best to keep everyone in character so it takes a bit longer to write. Thanks for waiting and please review!

Harry Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor

Chapter 4: Petunia's Secret

Nobody moved for almost a full minute. Uncle Vernon stared at them with his bushy moustaches quivering and a vein throbbing in his temple.

"You're really in trouble now," muttered Ron, and Harry had no choice but to give a weak nod of agreement.

After several moments, Uncle Vernon finally managed to find his voice. "You-"

"I can explain," said Harry quickly. "Actually, we were just about to-"

"What are you doing in my house?" roared Uncle Vernon at Ron and Hermione.

Harry winced, but Hermione merely crossed her arms and gave Uncle Vernon a stern look.

"So rude. That's no way to treat a house guest," said Hermione with a sniff.

Uncle Vernon blinked, looking a little taken aback, and Harry felt a sudden crazy urge to laugh.

Hermione's look of dismay had been replaced with a no-nonsense expression that seemed to have left Uncle Vernon temporarily speechless.

Hermione straightened her shoulders and stared Uncle Vernon directly in the eye. "We have come to take Harry away from here for the last time."

"Yeah, you should be thanking us," Ron muttered.

"Now wait just a minute!" roared Uncle Vernon. "You can't just walk into my house and-"

"Vernon, what's going on in there?" called Aunt Petunia from the living room.

She came into the hallway with Dudley lumbering along behind her, and it was all Harry could do not to let out a loud groan.

Dudley glanced around eagerly, obviously expecting Harry to be getting into trouble for something, and froze at the sight of Ron and Hermione.

Ron eyed Dudley with a grin on his face, his hand moving towards his wand, and Dudley quickly leaped behind Uncle Vernon. This did not exactly help much, considering Dudley's size.

Harry expected Aunt Petunia to let out a scream of horror, but instead she merely stared at him, her face white.

"You're leaving," said Aunt Petunia, her voice sounding a little odd.

Harry nodded, watching her closely, but he remained silent. Ever since the day that Dumbledore had sent his aunt a Howler, he had found himself wondering just how much she knew about the wizarding world.

"That's right," said Hermione. "Harry is leaving, and he won't be coming back this time. I'm sure that will cheer both of you up considerably. Dumbledore must have been appalled at the way that you've treated him for all these years! You should be ashamed of yourselves!"

Ron, who had been edging closer to Dudley, suddenly froze and turned to gape at Hermione.

"This definitely tops punching Malfoy and walking out on Trelawney," said Harry weakly. He felt a sudden need to sit down.

"Can't argue with you there, mate," said Ron with a nervous laugh.

Hedwig hooted at Hermione with what sounded like approval, and Harry's knees finally gave out.

He sat down hard on the steps with Hedwig's cage in his lap and found himself wondering if maybe he was the one who had gone mental instead of Hermione.

"How dare you speak to me like that in my own house!" shouted Uncle Vernon, his eyes almost popping out of his head.

Harry flinched. His uncle's face was so red that it looked ready to explode. They had gone way past the danger point by this time.

Hermione chose to ignore Uncle Vernon's words. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have more important things to deal with at the moment," she said.

"And where do you plan to go?" asked Uncle Vernon, fixing Harry with a nasty smile. "You're not going to have your godfather around to protect you this time. He's dead, which means that there'll be no one to take you in."

"Shut up!" shouted Harry, leaping to his feet and fixing his uncle with an angry glare. His blood was boiling with rage, and it was all Harry could do not to take out his wand and hit Uncle Vernon with a particularly nasty curse. "Don't ever talk about Sirius like that! He was more of a family to me than you lot ever were, and I barely even had that much time to spend with him!"

"Are you going to go live in his house?" asked Uncle Vernon, his beady eyes filling with greed.

Harry whipped out his wand, but Hermione grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Harry, no," she whispered. "You still have a week before you turn seventeen. Ron and I will take care of any wand work. We can't afford to have the Ministry on your heels."

"Come on, lets go," said Harry in disgust, jumping down the rest of the stairs and turning his back on the Dursleys.

"They had a chance," whispered Aunt Petunia so suddenly that Harry froze in his tracks and slowly turned to face her.

"What did you say?"

Aunt Petunia's eyes took on a far way look, and Harry's heart pounded in his ears. His aunt's horsy face was pale, and she gazed at the ceiling as if lost in memory.

"She knew Voldemort was after them. That's the reason they went into hiding. She told me, and she asked me not to say anything."

Harry stared at her with his mouth hanging open, unable to look away. It was strange hearing Aunt Petunia say Voldemort's name. He had suspected that she might know something after he and Dudley had been attacked by Dementors two years ago, but he had never expected something like this.

"Petunia, are you alright?" asked Vernon, staring at her as if she had grown an extra head.

After all, Aunt Petunia never talked about her sister if she could help it. That qualified as part of the Dursley's rule about avoiding anything magic related.

"Dad, has Mum gone mad?" asked Dudley, his voice barely above a whisper.

Harry watched his cousin peek around Uncle Vernon's shoulder and stare at Aunt Petunia in fear.

"My Mum told you that Voldemort was after her?" asked Harry in disbelief.

"I think she was worried that something might happen to her, and she wanted to make sure that you weren't left alone. It was almost as if she knew what was going to happen," his aunt whispered. "She believed him."

"Believed who?"

Harry's own voice was barely above a whisper, and his fingers tightened around his wand.

"The man who had come to warn them. Something had happened to make her trust him. I don't know what, but it must have been important. Your father didn't believe him, but they went into hiding anyway, just to be safe."

"My dad didn't believe Dumbledore?" askd Harry in shock.

"It wasn't Dumbledore," murmured Aunt Petunia, her eyebrows narrowing into a frown. "She said that Dumbledore had a lot of spies working for him. One of those spies tipped Dumbledore off about Voldemort coming after her. She believed Dumbledore, but her husband was skeptical. Later that same day, the spy came to them in person and told them what he knew. I don't know if Dumbledore ever knew about that. She told me that her husband refused to believe the spy, but she convinced him to. They went into hiding that night."

Harry stared at her, transfixed. So much about his parents past still remained a mystery to him and now, all of a sudden, it was all coming out.

"They were barely there a week before they ended up dead," whispered Aunt Petunia. "In fact, my sister had contacted me just hours before she died. I remember that she was worried, but she wouldn't say why."

"How could she have contacted you if she was in hiding?" asked Harry.

Aunt Petunia shook her head. "I don't know. That night the spy had offered to stay with them until morning. It was almost as if he knew something was going to happen. She told me that her husband turned him down. Maybe if the spy had stayed they would still be alive..."

Harry's eyes stung with sudden tears, and he quickly looked at the ground. Someone out there had wanted to protect his parents. If only they had listened.

"Thank you for telling me," he whispered.

Aunt Petunia finally looked at him, and her eyes were filled with sadness. "Don't get yourself blown up, okay?" she whispered.

"You had better not!" snapped Uncle Vernon. "I don't want my Dudders to have to end up looking after any freaky kids you might have!"

"Don't worry," snorted Harry. "I would never dream of sending any kids I might have to live with him! See you later."

"Was there anything else?" asked Harry, turning to his aunt.

She shook her head. "That's all I know, and, Harry? Good luck."

Harry turned to look at his friends who were gaping at Petunia and smiled.

"Thanks," he replied. "Come on, you two. Lets get going."

As he left the house with his friends right behind him, he heard Dudley let out a sudden shriek and laughed. Ron had managed to get Dudley in the end after all.


End file.
